NHTSA Complaint #10299662 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

WE WERE STAYING AT A HOTEL AT THE INNER HARBOR IN BALTIMORE MARYLAND. WE PULLED INTO THE ENTRY WAY OF THE HOTEL. WE GOT OUT OF VEHICLE AND WERE GOING TO HAVE IT VALET PARKED FOR THE EVENING. BEFORE THE DRIVER COULD GET MORE THAN 7 FEET FROM WHERE WE WERE STANDING THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, DID NOT JUMP A CURB, OR DO ANYTHING THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. WE HAD TO HAVE THE ESCAPE TOWED TO A DEALER IN BALTIMORE MARYLAND. THE DEALER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED ANYWHERE ON THE SUV, FORD WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE REPAIRS AS THERE WAS SOME SORT OF IMPACT DATA IN THE COMPUTER. WE THEN WENT THROUGH OUR INSURANCE CARRIER, THEY SENT OUT AN ADJUSTER. THE ADJUSTER FOR STATE FARM ALONG WITH 2 FORD MECHANICS SEARCHED THE SUV TOP TO BOTTOM, FRONT TO BACK AND COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON OR VISIBLE DAMAGE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. SO STATE FARM IS NOT GOING TO COVER THE REPAIRS, AND UPON FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH FORD MOTORS, THEY STATE THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO APPEAL THEIR DECISION. I AM FILING A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH YOU TODAY AS I FEEL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT IF IT WERE TO OCCUR JUST 10 MINS EARLIER WHILE DRIVE 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE I 95. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 1128 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, I HAVE WRITTEN STATEMENTS FROM THE VALET DRIVE AT THE HOTEL, A STATEMENT FROM THE STATE FARM ADJUSTER STATING NO DAMAGE, PICTURES SHOWING SO DAMAGE, THE HOTLINE REQUEST DATA THE MASTER MECHANICS SENT TO FORD WITH THE DTC CODES. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME. *TR